Power repair work going slowly in central China

Beijing  Driven from her home by the bitter cold, Shi Ying was lucky to find a room at a hotel with a generator. But other residents of the central city of Chenzhou will ring in the Chinese New Year by candlelight.

A blackout stretched into its 12th day Tuesday in Chenzhou, a Hunan province city in a region that has been pummeled by blizzards and ice storms since Jan. 10.

"It doesn't feel like the New Year at all," Shi said. "It should be happy but instead it's scary."

The 28-year-old Shi and her family have been at the hotel since the crisis began. She said there is no TV or radio, and residents have no information about when utilities might be restored.

Chief Engineer Gu Junyuan of the State Electricity Regulatory Commission said electricity was restored to parts of Chenzhou on Monday evening, but the power failed again after just three hours.